one hand giveth…

“Money mister? One dollar? One pen? One bon-bon? One rupee?” Coming to grips with poverty whilst travelling in developing countries, and deciding how you might respond to beggars can be distressing. Intrepid’s approach varies from culture to culture, but with advice from those in the aid and development sector, we suggest a few pointers:

– Don’t give to begging children. Giving to children is a sure way to perpetuate their poverty, particularly when they and their parents consider it more lucrative than attending school. If you want to support children, seek out organisations that are working to provide educational opportunities to the poorest children. A good education will be their best opportunity to climb out of poverty.

- The elderly and people with disabilities – find out what welfare services are available and ask local people how they believe these people may be best supported.

– Learn about the cultural and religious norms for supporting the poor. In Islamic communities, giving is one of the five pillars of Islam – with middle and upper class Muslims expected to give a percentage of what they possess away to the needier. This giving is usually done through their mosque and adjunct welfare agencies. In Buddhist societies – giving alms to the poor will bring good karma or merit and help toward a better next life or incarnation, hence you will often see Buddhists give, particularly to elderly people.

Intrepid can recommend a range of sound organisations that travellers may support, through The Intrepid Foundation. We can then guarantee that 100% of your donation will get to the charity and we offer the extra incentive that Intrepid Travel will match your donation. The instant gratification of giving a few coins to a beggar may not be there, but this way your contribution will be so much more effective and sustainable.

About the author

Sue Elliot - Like many of us, Sue contracted a serious travel bug at an early age. She's visited over 90 countries in search of a cure, but her wanderlust just seems to get worse. Thankfully at Intrepid Travel she's amongst people who understand the affliction and since 1998 Sue has enjoyed being our blog and newsletter editor. Here you'll find helpful travel advice and inspiring tales from Sue and other Intrepid travellers.